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In Jesus' story of the widow who pleaded with a judge to receive justice it looks to us that it was her persistence that got the judge to act.

But Dr John Pilch points out that the judge didn't care about the lady nor did he have any concern for God either. So it doesn't seem to him to be "persistence" that is working here. He feels that in this culture where honor was so extremely important the judge was concerned about his honor, or esteem in the community.

Like all judges of this period he would hold court in the city gate rooms, through which all the citizens would pass each day going from their house to the fields where they worked. It was a VERY public place. If people saw this lady standing before him every single day, people might begin to think he wasn't a good judge. He was not worried of being worn out by the lady, that's a bad translation. The word in greek means "to strike me under the eye." And this expression is an idiom that means he would be shamed by her constantly coming back each day. It would show all the people that the judge was unable to do his job. And he would lose honor in the community. Jesus is implying that the same thing is true of God.

​God is concerned with his honor in the community too! (if you grew up in a Mediterranean culture this would be obvious) There's a story of Moses advising God on how to deal with the stubborn Israelites. God intends to destroy them. Moses suggests that this might damage God's reputation among the Egyptians (Exodus 32). Apparently honor does matter to God. His honor and yours!